Police were out in force Friday night and early Saturday morning as Central Michigan University students celebrated their return to Mt. Pleasant and the state of the new semester.

Officers from the Mt. Pleasant and Central Michigan University police departments, deputies from the Isabella County Sheriff’s Department and Michigan State Police troopers dealt with a variety of incidents, including several reports of fights, a bottle-throwing incident downtown, loud parties and numerous cases of minors in possession of alcohol.

No numbers on arrests and citations were available early Saturday morning.

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Witnesses said the bottle-throwing incident took place around 2 a.m. at the corner of Michigan and Main streets. The witnesses said that as a police car approached a group of people on the sidewalk, someone threw a bottle at the cruiser. One person appeared to have been taken into custody.

No fires or injuries were reported.

Earlier Friday, with fliers in hand, various members of Mt. Pleasant and Central Michigan University’s police and code enforcement departments visited houses up and down Washington and Douglas streets.

As part of an annual walkaround, local officials welcomed incoming CMU students to the off-campus areas of town, offering information on downtown living.

Officer Jeff Thompson said one of main points he wanted to mention was the recent update to the city charter’s nuisance party language.

“The basics are still the same,” he said. “We’ve updated the flier to reflect the updates in the city ordinances.”

Most students are aware of the ordinance, he said, but the changes list specific restrictions as to noise pollution.

“If the bass is felt from 50 feet away, that is one of the specific elements of the crime,” Thompson said. “Most of the rest of it is still the same in regards to the alcohol, the trash in the yard, the loud subjects, the disorderly conducts.”

Thompson also participated in a walkaround on Thursday afternoon, visiting houses up and down Main Street.

These are usually the problem areas during the year, he explained.

Thompson said he thinks students are usually receptive to the message, and speaking with students beforehand helps to keep some of the nuisance levels down.

“Having the contact with the people, they can’t say, ‘we didn’t know,’ or ‘no one told us,’” he said.

Code Enforcement Officer Jeff Pickler said officials also gather names and cell phone numbers from each residence to create a database in case officials ever need to contact renters if there happens to be an emergency.

Pickler said the handouts give students information on how to handle trash and parties.

“Just some basic information that they can learn from,” he said. “I think it’s time well spent for us.”

Community Information Director Heather Smith said in addition to the flier, students were also given a small card with the link to a website designed specifically for students.

The website, mt-pleasant.org/CMUstudents, is dedicated to CMU student residents and has similar information to the flier.

It also includes a list of Mt. Pleasant activities for students to participate in.

Smith said the site went online earlier this week.

“It’s really a place for them to go and get everything they need all in one spot,” she said. “We already had it on the website, but it just puts it all in one place.”

Randi Shaffer is a reporter at the Morning Sun. She can be reached at 989-779-6059, rshaffer@michigannewspapers.com or on Twitter at @RandiMShaffer. Mark Ranzenberger is online editor of TheMorningSun.com. He can be reached at 989-779-6042.